Self-adjusting gear or clutch disk



Feb. 18, 1947.

` SELF ADJUSTING GEAR OR CLUTCH I 1|2SKl v l Filed Dec. 4, 1944 l A gmvmwn.

L, JoH/v Barna/NE.

Train/Ek l J. R. BATTALINE i y A.2,413,083

Patented Feb. 18, 1,947

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SELF-ADJUSTING GEAR OR CLUTCH DISK John R.Battaline, Hartford, Conn. Application December 4, 1944, Serial No.566,497

4 Claims.

This invention relates to power transmittingv means and moreparticularly to a self-adjusting or resilient gear or clutch disc whichis adapted to intermesh with members having teeth or projections ofdiil'erent sizes.

An object of the invention is to provide means for transmitting power ina manner which will permit gradual intermeshlng of engageable members soas to derive power at variable speeds starting from a low speed andgradually increasing up to the full speed of the power deliveringmember- A further object of this invention is to provide a powertransmitting member having means thereon for engaging and conformingwith engageable projections on another member.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be more clearlyunderstood from the following description and from the accompanyingdrawing in whichfl Fig. 1 is a view in central vertical section of thepower transmitting member embodying my in vention.

Fig. 2 is an elevational end view thereof,

Fig. 3 is an elevational side view of said member and of another memberadapted to engage with the same.

Fig. '4 is a fragmentary view illustrating the operation of my inventionwith one form of a gear.

Fig. 5 is a similar view illustrating the operation with the othermember shown in Fig. 3.

As shown in the drawing, the numeral 5 denotes the driving member of apower transmitting device, which may be in the form of va, disk l on abar 'I' that is rotatably mounted in a suitable bearing 8. The said diskis provided with an annular groove 8 having an inwardly projecting lipIII. A disk-shaped plate Il is secured to the front of the disk 6, bymeans of screws I2, and has an outwardly extending flange I3 whichcooperates with the lip III and the groove 9 to form an annular slot Ilin the face of the plate B. The lip I and the flange I3 are eachrespectively provided with oppositely corresponding notches I and IB forthe purpose to be hereinafter described.

A plurality of relatively thin platesvll are slidably mounted within theslot Il and a series of similar plates Il, but slightly wider, aremounted in said slot and register with the notches IB and li, as clearlyillustrated in Eig. 2 of the drawing. The saidplates are respectivelyprovided with projecting flanges Il and `which engage the inner walls ofthe lip Il and the flange I3 to retain the plates I1 and Il in theiroutward 2 position so that the face of the disk IB in alignment witheach other. T he said plates are urged toward their outwardly projectingposition by suitable'means, such as a cushion in the form of a ring 2lwhich -is preferably 'hollow and constructed of resilient material suchas rubber or the like.

As illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing. my improved power transmittingmeans may be used in cooperation with a driven member such asillustrated at 22 and which is preferably in the form of a disk having aseries of projections or teeth 23 thereon facing t .e plates I1 and Ilof the driving member 5. The said member 22 is mounted on a shaft 24which rotates within a suitable means of a suitable collar 2i and anoperating lever 2l having a yoke in engagement ing the. shaft 24, theOperating lever 2'I with said collar to move the disk 22 towards or awayfrom the member I and theplates II and Il thereon.

The operation of my invention is as follows:

When the members are in the position shown in Fig. 3, the member 6 ispreferably the driving member and in rotation while the driven member22, being out of tain power from the driving member l, for rotatisactuated to move the shaft 2| and the disk 22 thereon towards themember6. This may be done slowly so that the teeth 23 will at first lightlyengage with the edges of the plates Il and I8 and thus permit a slidingaction, or slippage, between the plates and the teeth which will startrotation of the member 22 in a gradual manner. Continuing themovement'of the said member 22 for fuller engagement with the plates I1and vI8 will gradually bring the said plates and teeth 2! `into fullengagement, as illustrated in Fig. 5, whereby the member -22 will be incomplete meshwith .the member and will be driveny at the full speed ofthe said member 5.

As illustrated in Fig. 4.` the driving member 5 may be used inconnection with a driven gear 2l which may rotate upon a shaft 29 thatis disposed with its axis extending at right angles to l ratio betweenthe driving member and the driven gear 22; thus various speeds may beobtained by simply sliding the gear along the face-of the adjustablesurface provided by the plates I1 and Il.

ythey will project outwardly from engagement with the driving member, isstationary. When it is desired to ob- Y i frI-'uhavelprovided a cushion2l, 'forurgi niim'theplates outwardly to coniormto the con-, .tour`ofythe. teethl or projections vengaging the front edges of saidplates,` pressure applying means, such as springs or the'like, may beused 5*' for urging said plates outwardly and into ven'"k gagement withvthe projections on thefdrivenhmember in such a manner that the positionof each fsaid plates will conform closely to theV contour of fsaidprojections, as illustrated 'injlllgaf 10v 4 and 5:" 'It will also benoted thatA the plates `I1 l, and I8 ,are slightly tapered, orwedge-shaped. yso. that they radiate from the axis of the driving? Il".'15' l1. A vpower transmitting device of vthe char-- member. v

I claim: f

closingsaid groove and'providingfan annular ,j

l slotin-ethe face ofthe member:.-ieilnedl by'said f i 3 -lip' fandange, a series-'0I :Oppositely disposed 5254 notchesainsaid; lipandailange, a vplurjalityoff` p luxtapositionedfrelatively. thinp1atesslidably".

mounted in said slot; the'said plateshavingLout-` `fv ',wardlyxextending projections eng'ageablefwithvv f' saidl lip and flange forvlocating said plates inan .530

f .1 `.-outwa rdly extending position onsaid member, 1.a f t seriesofplates included' with said ,plurality-.oi l

platesandslidable ywithin said notches for1-re j v taining; all oflsaidnplateszrotatable with'said 1 rmembengand meanswithin saidgrooveurging all' 135l oithefplatesstoward normalposition.. L.l2..,Apower;transmitting devicev comprising1 a u 1 member yhaving adisk-shaped portion thereon; pan vannular groove -in thetfacefof.saidz-portion Y. having, an inwardly projectingy lip'.in-;eachfoppo';f40l vsiteside thereof, "a plurality of .iuxtapositioned Y, jfrelativelythin plates .slidably mounted in'-`sai,d e. i igroove,,outwardlyextending,projectionsfonvsaid plates engageable withsaid lips for locatingl said y plates inf'an outwardlyA extendingAposition on saidymember, and a hollow ring of resilient material inthebottom. of said groove for urging v all of the plates toward theirnormal position.

3. A power transmitting device as set forth in. claim 2 wherein the saidring is constructed ofrubbertU, 4.' A power transmitting ldevice of thecharaceter described comprising amemberrhaving a diskfl shaped yportion. thereon;l a recess in the face of f said portion, azsmallerdisk-shaped member sef cured centrally in said recess and therebyproviding `arrannulai"groove on the tace of said membervv between theedge portion thereof and the peripheryl of said smaller disk, the saidgroove having' inwardly projecting lips along the outer opposite edgesthereof, a plurality of plates mounted in and projecting from saidgroove, stop 'means'on' said plates engaging said lips forl retainingtheplates in their normal position, and

meansfcomprising a'ring'.ofn.resilient material in the bottomof Asaidgroove4 for v,urgingsaid plates outwardly; in the fgroover ktoward ,1their normal ,position; the y said smaller kdisk, shaped member being'removable from said yrecess-to permit insertion of said'ring and-platesintoy said groove.

-lille lof' this,'patents'v j.;

e pate" -s June ,11, 1929 ;Nov. '2, 1937 '403,745 1 Jan. 4, -1934 x114,34o y swiss Dee. @10,1923

following y references Y arel of record Vinthe

